The present disclosure generally relates to the area of stopper devices for supporting a vehicle hood when the hood is in a closed position. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to hood stoppers that include energy absorbing characteristics in the event of a pedestrian-hood impact.
Conventional hood stopper assemblies typically involve one or more stopper members disposed between the hood and a peripheral edge of the engine compartment. Each stopper member is generally attached to a horizontal cross member adjacent the front of the associated vehicle such that an underside of the hood is supported by the one or more stopper members when in a closed position. In addition, the stopper members are usually fabricated from a semi-pliable compound (e.g. rubber) to provide at least some degree of cushioning and vibration damping when the hood is closed or being closed. However, over time it has been recognized that in vehicular collisions where a pedestrian is involved, it is desirable to provide additional damping or shock absorption in or around the hood. This is the case since in the majority of pedestrian related collisions, the pedestrian typically impacts the hood region of the vehicle with his or her head and or other body parts. This type of impact is commonly referred to as a pedestrian hood strike.
To reduce or eliminate the possibility of severe injury resulting from a pedestrian hood strike, hood stopper systems have been designed to lessen the initial shock or impact of the pedestrian with a hood of the associated vehicle. These systems vary from deformable hood stopper brackets to hood systems that fracture or break apart at strategic locations. However, these systems are often bulky, difficult to implement into existing hood stopper designs, and are more costly to manufacture. Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a hood stopper assembly that overcomes the foregoing and other problems and disadvantages.